Digital Home Thoughts: Wireless N Router Reviews

"You've been getting by with the cheapie router you bought two years ago, so why should you upgrade now? In a word: Performance. And features. Oh, sorry. That's two words. We looked at a host of budget offerings in our last router roundup (February 2010) and didn't find much to get excited about. This time, we asked seven manufacturers to send us the best consumer routers in their stables regardless of price tags."

If you are in the market for a Wireless N router, MaximumPC.com has taken a look at 7 "top-tier" models, and assigned overall scores ranging from 5 to 9 (presumably on a 10-point scale!). Also included is a summary of each model's features, plus and minus points, as well as several charts showing "real world" performance under a variety of conditions. The article wraps up with a brief look at several new wireless developments, including WiGig and Wi-Fi Direct, which might at least help you to decide whether to hold off your purchase decision pending some new functionality.